Drawer insert

ABSTRACT

A drawer insert, in particular a cutlery insert, which may be adapted to different drawer sizes. The drawer insert comprises a plurality of separate trays ( 6, 7 ) each delimiting a receiving space. At least one of the trays ( 7 ) is compressible in resilient manner. The trays ( 6, 7 ) are surrounded by a frame ( 8 ) whereof lateral delimiting struts ( 9 ) are compressible in resilient manner.

[0001] The invention relates to a drawer insert, in particular a cutlery insert, which may be adapted to different drawer sizes and comprises a plurality of separate trays each delimiting a receiving space.

[0002] The receiving space serves for example to receive cutlery. A cutlery insert of this kind is known from AT 004052 U1 (Blum). Furthermore, drawers having resilient separators are known, as described in AT 003039 U1 (Blum) and U.S. Pat. No. 2,148,681 A (Cameron).

[0003] WO 98/06300 describes a cutlery insert having displaceable side compartments. This cutlery insert may be adapted to drawers of different widths. It is not possible to make any adjustment in the direction perpendicular to the front panel.

[0004] Drawers may have both lengthwise and widthwise dimensions which differ slightly. In particular in the case of drawers of wood, differences may arise, for example depending on whether the drawer is constructed such that it is closed on four sides and the front panel is placed on the external drawer wall, or whether the actual drawer is open towards the front and is only covered by the front panel.

[0005] The length of the drawer will thus differ with the way the depthwise dimension of the item of furniture is sealed.

[0006] The object of the invention is to provide an improved drawer insert which offers optimum possibilities for adapting to drawers having different dimensions.

[0007] The object is achieved in accordance with the invention in that at least one of the trays is compressible in resilient manner.

[0008] An example embodiment of the invention provides for the at least one tray to comprise two half-shell elements between which at least one spring pressing the half-shell element apart is arranged.

[0009] In some cases, the entire interior of the drawer is not filled by the drawer insert. So that the individual trays are held stably in the drawer, a frame is provided which surrounds the trays and holds them together. A drawer insert of this kind is known from AT 00 378 U1 (Blum).

[0010] In accordance with the invention, it is provided for the trays to be surrounded by a frame in which at least the lateral delimiting struts are compressible in resilient manner.

[0011] Advantageously, it is provided for the lateral delimiting struts to have at at least one end a telescopically displaceable head part which is pressed by springs up to a drawer wall, and for the head parts of the lateral delimiting struts to have vertical grooves into which the terminating walls of the frame may be pushed.

[0012] Very good division of a drawer is achieved with at least two frames, in which case at least one spreading element which is resilient in its longitudinal direction and presses the frames against two mutually opposing delimiting walls of the drawer, for example the drawer frames, is provided.

[0013] Various example embodiments of the invention will be described below with reference to the figures of the drawing.

[0014]FIG. 1 shows an illustration of a drawer having a drawer insert according to the invention,

[0015]FIG. 2 shows a plan view of a drawer having the drawer insert according to the invention,

[0016]FIG. 3a shows a plan view of a drawer having a front panel which covers the front side of the drawer, and having an inserted drawer insert,

[0017]FIG. 3b shows a plan view of a drawer closed on four sides and having a drawer front wall and an inserted drawer insert,

[0018]FIG. 4 shows diagrammatic illustrations of the trays,

[0019]FIG. 5 shows a section through the trays, taken perpendicular to the front panel,

[0020]FIG. 6 shows an illustration of a frame,

[0021]FIG. 7 shows an illustration of a partition wall,

[0022]FIG. 8 shows a diagram of a frame with the partition wall inserted,

[0023]FIG. 9 shows a longitudinal section through the front end of a lateral delimiting strut,

[0024]FIG. 10 shows an illustration of a frame having trays inserted,

[0025]FIG. 11 shows an illustration of an assembled drawer insert, and

[0026]FIG. 12 shows an illustration of a partition wall.

[0027] The drawer 1 to be equipped has, in conventional manner, two drawer frames 2 and a rear wall 3. At the front the drawer 1 may either be covered only by a front panel 5, as shown in FIG. 3a, or it may terminate in a drawer front wall 4 inserted between the drawer frames 2, as shown in FIG. 3b. The drawer front wall 4 and the end faces of the drawer frames 2 are covered by the front panel 5.

[0028] Shell-shaped trays 6 which are stable, that is to say they are not deformable, and at least one tray 7 which is resilient, that is to say may be altered widthwise, are inserted into the drawer 1.

[0029] The trays 6, 7 are surrounded by a frame 8 which has two lateral delimiting struts 9 which may be compressed in resilient manner. The frames 8 terminate in a rear and a front terminating wall 18. The terminating walls 18 may have different widths, so that accordingly frames 8 of different widths may be assembled. Together with the frame 8, the trays 6, 7 form the drawer insert or a part of the drawer insert.

[0030] The resilient tray 7 has two half-shell elements 10 which are pushed apart by springs 11. The half-shell elements 10 are pushed onto guide walls 12. The resilient trays 7 may thus be inserted into intermediate spaces of unequal width, for example both into the intermediate space between the rigid trays 6 and the front panel 5 of a drawer in accordance with FIG. 3a and into the intermediate space between the rigid trays 6 and the drawer front wall 4 in a drawer in accordance with FIG. 3b. In the latter case, the two half-shell elements 10 of the resilient trays 7 are compressed to a greater extent.

[0031] The springs 11 are located in a chamber 17 underneath the cutlery receiving space in the tray 7.

[0032] In the example embodiment shown, a partition wall 23 is provided between the rigid trays 6 and the tray 7 compressible in resilient manner. The partition wall 23 prevents the trays 6 from being pressed upwards by the tray 7. Partition walls 23 of different lengths adapted to different frame widths are used.

[0033] The lateral delimiting struts 9, which are preferably made from metal, have terminating pieces 19 of synthetic material at the rear end. The terminating pieces 19 are provided on both sides with a respective vertical dovetail groove 20 into which the terminating walls 18 may be pushed by means of corresponding connecting pieces such as webs or pegs.

[0034] So that the lateral delimiting struts 9 of the frame 8 can also be adapted to the different internal dimensions of the drawer 1, they are provided at one end with a telescopically compressible head part 13 which comprises a part 14 firmly anchored in the lateral delimiting strut 9 and a part 15 which may be placed thereon. Between the parts 14, 15 there are arranged pressure springs 16 which in the example embodiment shown press the part 15 against the front wall 4 or front panel 5.

[0035] The head parts 13 also have on both sides a respective groove 20 of dovetail cross-section, with the result that the terminating walls 18 may be coupled front and rear to the lateral delimiting struts 9.

[0036] Furthermore, the lateral delimiting struts 9 are provided with holes 22 in which partition walls 23 may be anchored. The partition walls 23 are in the form of spreading elements which have a central part 24 and two lateral anchoring parts 25 between which spring elements are arranged. The partition walls 23 are thus compressible and may easily be inserted into the frame. The anchoring parts 25 each have two pegs which project into holes 22 in the lateral delimiting struts 9. It is possible to divide a frame 8 merely by means of partition walls 23. In the example embodiment shown, a partition wall 23 is inserted in each case between the rigid trays 6 and the resiliently compressible tray 7.

[0037] In the example embodiment according to FIGS. 1 and 2, two frames 8 which are of different widths and in which in each case a different number of fixed trays 6 and resiliently compressible trays 7 of a different length are located are inserted into the drawer.

[0038] Between the frames 8, there are once again partition walls 23 in the form of spreading elements, which press the frames 8 in each case against the drawer frames 2 of the drawer.

[0039] As has been mentioned, the partition walls 23 have different lengths, depending on whether they are inserted into a narrow frame as shown on the left in FIG. 2, a wide frame 8 as shown on the right in FIG. 2, or between the frames 8. The partition walls 23 are preferably made from synthetic material. The lateral delimiting struts 9 are provided with holes 22 on both sides so that the partition walls 23 may be arranged both within a frame 8 and between two frames 8, and may be anchored in the lateral delimiting struts 9. 

1. A drawer insert, in particular a cutlery insert, which may be adapted to different drawer sizes and comprises a plurality of separate trays each delimiting a receiving space, characterised in that at least one of the trays is compressible in resilient manner.
 2. A drawer insert according to claim 1, characterised in that the at least one tray is compressible transversely in relation to its longitudinal direction.
 3. A drawer insert according to claim 1, characterised in that the at least one tray comprises two half-shell elements between which at least one spring pressing the half-shell element apart is arranged. 4- A drawer insert according to claim 3, characterised in that the at least one spring is arranged underneath the receiving space of the tray.
 5. A drawer insert according to claim 3, characterised in that guide walls are provided for the half-shell elements.
 6. A drawer insert according to claim 1, characterised in that the trays are surrounded by a frame.
 7. A drawer insert according to claim 6, characterised in that lateral delimiting struts of the frame are compressible in resilient manner.
 8. A drawer insert according to claim 7, characterised in that the lateral delimiting struts have at at least one end a telescopically displaceable head part which is pressed by at least one spring up to a drawer wall.
 9. A drawer insert according to claim 8, characterised in that the head part is pressed by the at least one spring towards the drawer rear wall.
 10. A drawer insert according to claim 8, characterised in that the head part is pressed by the at least one spring towards a front delimiting wall of the drawer.
 11. A drawer insert according to claim 1, characterised in that a partition wall is arranged between the at least one resiliently compressible tray and rigid trays.
 12. A drawer insert according to claim 11, characterised in that the partition wall is compressible in resilient manner.
 13. A drawer insert according to claim 12, characterised in that the partition wall has a central part and two anchoring parts, and in that between the central part and the anchoring parts springs which press the central part and the anchoring parts apart are provided.
 14. A drawer insert according to claim 13, characterised in that the anchoring parts have pegs which project into holes in the lateral delimiting struts of the frame.
 15. A drawer insert according to claim 8, characterised in that the head parts of the lateral delimiting struts have vertical grooves into which terminating walls of the frame may be pushed.
 16. A drawer insert according to claim 15, characterised in that the grooves are constructed to have a dovetail profile, and in that the terminating walls have corresponding anchoring webs.
 17. A drawer insert according to claim 15, characterised in that the grooves are constructed to have a dovetail profile, and in that the terminating walls have corresponding anchoring pegs.
 18. A drawer insert according to claim 15, characterised in that the head parts of the lateral delimiting struts have a vertical groove on each side.
 19. A drawer having a drawer insert preferably according to one of claims 1 to 18, characterised in that a plurality of trays is assembled in a frame, and in that at least one resilient spreading element is arranged between the frame and a delimiting wall of the drawer.
 20. A drawer according to claim 19, characterised in that the at least one resilient spreading element is arranged between the frame and a drawer frame.
 21. A drawer having drawer inserts in particular according to one of claims 1 to 19, characterised by at least two frames into which a plurality of trays is inserted, in which case at least one spreading element which is resilient in its longitudinal direction and presses the frames against two mutually opposing delimiting walls of the drawer is arranged between the frames.
 22. A drawer according to claim 20 or 21, characterised in that the resilient spreading element is in the form of a partition wall.
 23. A drawer according to claim 19, characterised in that holes into which anchoring means of the resilient spreading elements or the partition walls latch are provided in the lateral delimiting struts of the frame. 